Device for conveying fluids or electric current between a stationary source and a mobile consumer

ABSTRACT

A device for conveying fluids or electric current between a stationary source and a mobile consumer, such as one or more motors on the reciprocable carriage of a drawing machine, has a package of elongated sections wherein the upper end of each intermediate section is pivoted to the upper end of one neighboring section and the lower end of each intermediate section is pivoted to the lower end of the other neighboring section. One end of one outer section is connected to the carriage which is reciprocable toward and away from the source along one or more elongated first guide rails tracked by roller followers provided on alternating sections of the package close to the upper ends of such sections. The upper ends of some or all of the sections carry roller followers which track a second guide rail located above the first guide rails and having a downwardly sloping portion close to the source. When the carriage moves toward the source, successive sections are pivoted in the region of the sloping portion to assume substantially vertical positions close to each other. When the carriage is moved away from the source, successive sections are pivoted to move into a substantially horizontal plane and to form an elongated pipeline extending lengthwise of the first guide rails.

United States Patent Behme Oct. 24, 1972 [54] DEVICE FOR CONVEYING FLUIDS 0R Primary Examiner-Gerald M. Forlenza ELECTRIC CURRENT BETWEEN A Assistant Examiner-D. W. Keen STATIONARY SOURCE AND A AtwmeyMichael Striker MOBILE CONSUMER [72] Inventor: 'Henning Behme, l-laan, Germany [57] CT A device for conveying fluids or electric current [73] Ass'gnee' ig? between a stationary source and a mobile consumer, 5 n a o mgen such as one or more motors on the reciprocable carermany riage of a drawing machine, has a package of elon- [22] Filed: Dec. 14, 1970 gated sections wherein the upper end of each intermediate section is pivoted to the upper end of one [21] Appl' 97524 neighboring section and the lower end of each intermediate section is pivoted to the lower end of the [30] Foreign Application Priority Data other neighboring section. One end of one outer section is connected to the carriage which is reciprocable 1969 Germany 19 62 toward and away from the source along one or more elongated first guide rails tracked by roller followers El/12111162183166: provided on alternating sections of the package close I to the upper ends ofsuch sections. The upper ends of [58] Field of Search "191/12 104/25 some or all of the sections carry roller followers which track a second guide rail located above the first guide rails and having a downwardly sloping portion close to [56] References Cited the source. When the carriage moves toward the UNITED STATES PATENTS source, successive sections are pivoted in the region of the sloping portion to assume substantially vertical 3,281,080 10/ 1966 l-logg ..l37/6l5 positions close to each m w the carriage i 1,603,475 10/1926 Kruckenberg ..104/25 moved away from the Source, successive sections are Ambrose pi t d t move i t a h i t l pl 3,289,983 12/1966 Mennerdahl ..19l/12 R and to form an elongated pipeline extending 2,462,410 2/ 1949 Lindenblad ..l74/69 lengthwise of the fi guide rails 2,571,832 10/1951 Chapin ..191/12 R 10 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures PATENTED I973 v 3.700.833

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DEVICE FOR CONVEYING FLUIDS OR ELECTRIC CURRENT BETWEEN A STATIONARY SOURCE AND A MOBILE CONSUMER BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a device for conveying fluids or electric current between one or more stationary sources and one or more mobile consumers. More particularly, the invention relates to a device which can be utilized to convey pneumatic, hydraulic or electrical energy between one or more stationary sources and one or more consumers which are reciprocable along a predetermined path to respectively approach or move away from the source or sources. According to a presently preferred use of the conveying device, the energy can be supplied fromv one or more stationary sources to one or more motors or analogous consumers which are mounted on and drive the drawing carriage in a drawing machine for tubular or solid rod stock.

It is already known to mount on the drawing carriage of a drawing machine one or more motors which receive pressurized hydraulic fluid from a stationary source. Such motor or motors often serve to drive to pinions which are mounted on the carriage and mesh with one or more stationary racks along which the carriage travels when pinions rotate. A drawback of devices which serve to convey pressurized fluid to such motors is that their parts extend well beyond the outline of the carriage so that they occupy too much room and prevent convenient access to the carriage.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the invention is to provide a conveying device which can be mounted in existing systems of the type wherein one or more mobile consumers must receive energy from one or more stationary energy sources.

Another object of the invention is to provide a compact, lightweight and simple conveying device which occupies little room, which can supply a fluid or electric current through a shorter or longer distance, which is safe and reliable in operation, and which does not interfere with the operation of the consumer or consumers.

A further object of the invention is to provide a conveying device which is constructed and assembled in such a way that its components can be combined with or are capable of co-operating with the parts of means for guiding the consumer or consumers and whose components need not extend beyond the outline of the consumer so that the conveying device can be installed in the space which is readily available in an existing installation.

The invention is embodied in a device for conveying a fluid or electric current between a stationary-source and a mobile consumer, for example, an electric or hydraulic motor mounted on the drawing carriage of a wire drawing or like machine. The conveying device comprises an expansible and contractible package of elongated carrier sections including two outer sections and a plurality of intermediate sections. Each intermediate section has a first end aniculately connected with the first end of one neighboring section and a second end articulately connected with the second end of the other neighboring section. The conveying device further comprises first elongated guide means extending transversely of the sections of the contracted package, first follower means provided on the altemating sections of the package to track the first guide means, such first follower means being nearer to the first than to the second ends of the respective sections, second guide means which is adjacent to the package and a portion of which slopes or curves gradually toward the first guide means, second follower means provided at the first ends of at least some sections to track the second guide means at least during a portion of movement of the sections in response to expansion or contraction of the package, and moving means (e.g., the drawing carriage of a drawing machine) connected with the free end of one outer section and movable with the latter toward and away from the other outer section, preferably along the first guide means, whereby the package respectively contracts and expands with attendant pivoting of successive sections while the first and second follower means respectively track the first and second guide means.

In accordance with a modification, the alternating sections can be provided with third follower means which track the first guide means opposite the first follower means and are nearer to the second than to the first ends of the respective sections. Such third follower means are particularly advantageous when the moving means is caused to change speeds or moves toward or away from the other outer section at a high speed.

The sections may constitute tubes which convey a fluid or which contain one or more conductors for electric current.

The novel features which are considered as characteristic of the invention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. The improved conveying device itself, however, both as to its construction and its mode of operation, together with additional features and advantages thereof, will be best understood upon perusal of the following detailed description of certain specific embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a schematic fragmentary side elevational view of a portion of a drawing machine including a conveying device for hydraulic fluid which embodies one form of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the structure shown in FIG. 1 with the second guide means omitted;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged transverse vertical sectional view as seen in the direction of arrows from the line A-B of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of a detail in the structure of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 5 is a side elevational view of 'a portion of a modified conveying device.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring first to FIGS. 1 to 4, there is shown a portion of a drawing machine including a conveying device which embodies one form of the present invention. The drawing machine comprises a base 50 which supports a matrix holder 2 and several substantially U-shaped posts 1 for two parallel horizontal U-shaped bars 3 disposed at different levels (see FIG. 3). The lower flange of the upper bar 3 supports a first flat horizontal guide rail 4 and the upper flange of the lower bar 3 supports a second flat guide rail 4 whichis parallel to and coplanar with the first rail 4. The rails 4 serve to guide the upper and lower rollers or wheels 5 of a drawing carriage 6 which is reciprocable along a horizontal path toward and away from the matrix holder 2. The wheels 5 are biased against the respective rails 4 so that they can cause the carriage 6 to travel lengthwise of the bars 3 when driven by hydraulic motors 7 which are mounted on the carriage (see FIG. 2). The motors 7 constitute consumers which receive a pressurized hydraulic fluid (preferably oil) from a stationary source 7 mounted adjacent to the leftmost post 1, as viewed in FIGS. 1 and 2. The carriage 6 draws a wire or the like through the matrix on the holder 2 while moving in a direction toward the source 7a.

The improved conveying device serves to supply pressurized oil from the source 7a to the motors 7 on the carriage 2. In the embodiment of FIG. 1 to 4, the conveying device .comprises two packages 51 of elongated tubular sections or pipes 8. One package 51 can serve to deliver pressurized oil to the motors 7 and the other package 51 can serve to convey spent oil from the motors 7 to the sump or back into the tank of the source 70. It is equally within the purview of the invention to provide each of the sections 8 with two conduits one of which delivers pressurized oil to one pair of motors 7 and the other of which conveys spent oil. Furthermore, the conveying device can comprise a single group 51 of sections 8 or more than two groups.

When the carriage 6 is moved closest to the source 70, the sections 8 of each package 51 form a stack 51 of closely adjacent and substantially parallel nearly or exactly vertical sections. Each package 51 is converted into a substantially horizontal composite tube 52 when the carriage 6 approaches the holder 2. As best shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, the lower end of each intermediate section 8 in each package 51 is sealingly and articulately. connected to the lower end of one neighboring section, and the upper end of each intermediate section is sealingly and articulately connected to the upper end of the other neighboring section. This leaves two outer sections each having a free end. The free end ofone outer section is connected to the carriage 6 and the free end of the other outer section is connected to the leftmost post 1 or to another stationary part and communicates with the source 7a. The base 50 is formed with a recess 9 which accommodates the lower portions of the sections 8 when such sections are caused to form a condensed or contracted package, i.e., when at least some of the sections are held in substantially vertical positions as a result of the movement of carriage 6 away from the holder 2.

The upper end of each intermediate section 8 (or of each pair of interconnected sections 8) in each package 51 is provided with a roller follower 10 which serves to track an upper or auxiliary guide rail 11 extending from the leftmost post 1 toward the holder 2 having an arcuate portion 11a sloping downwardly toward the plane of the guide rails 4, as best shown in FIG. 4. The two end portions of the guide rail 11 can be substantially or exactly horizontal, i.e., parallel with the guide rails 4. The intermediate portions of alternating sections 8 in each package 51 have roller followers 12 which can track the upper sides of the adjacent guide rails 4. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, the roller followers 12 are nearer to the upper than to the lower ends of the respective sections 8. The auxiliary guide rail 1 1 preferably extends all the way to or close to the holder 2 and only a portion of this rail (namely, the portion which is adjacent to the recess 9) must slope so asto ensure that successive sections 8 are compelled to pivot during expansion or during contraction of the respective package 51. When the carriage 6 travels toward the source 7a, successive sections 8 which reach the sloping portion 11a of the upper or auxiliary guide rail 11 are automatically tilted or pivoted to assume substantially vertical positions as shown in the left-hand portion of FIG. 4.

An important advantage of the improved conveying device is that its sections 8 occupy little room when the carriage 6 is moved far away from the holder 2, i.e., when the sections 8 are caused to form a condensed package 51. On the other hand, the sections 8 can form a very long pipeline or extended package 52 when the carriage 6 is moved toward the holder 2. Another important advantage of the improved conveying device is that the sections 8 need not extend to a level above the carriage 6 along the major part of the path for the carriage, i.e., when the package 51 shown in FIGS. 1 and 4 is at least partially expanded, those sections 8 which make with each other an angle of approximately form a substantially horizontal pipeline 52 which can be said to be substantially parallel to the guide rails 4. This is important because a drawing machine can embody a host of auxiliary parts whichoccupy the space along and around the path for the carriage 6.

It will be noted that the carriage 6 constitutes the moving means for the right-hand outer section 8 whereby such section causes successive sections to pivot in a manner as shown in FIG. 4 to cause an extension or contraction of the respective package. The roller followers 12 of sections 8in one package 51 track one of the rails 4 and the roller followers 12 of the other package 51 track the other rail 4. The roller followers 10 of both groups of sections can track a single guide rail 11 (see FIG. 3) or two discrete auxiliary rails.

FIG. 5 illustratesa portion of a modified conveying device. The alternating sections 8 of the package 51 shown in FIG. 5 have additional roller followers 12a which are located nearer to the lower than to the upper ends of the respective sections and serve to track the underside of the respective rail 4. The roller followers 12 track the. upper side of the rail 4. Otherwise, the construction of the conveying device shown in FIG. 5 is identical with that of the conveying device shown in FIGS. 1 and 4. An important advantage of roller followers 12a is that they prevent excessivepivoting of the sections 8 during rapid movement of the carriage (not shown in FIG. 5) toward or away from the source, i.e., that the neighboring sections cannot pivot beyond their dead-center positions. Moreover, the roller followers 12a ensure more satisfactory movements of the sections 8 relative to each other when the carriage is caused to change the speed of its movement along the guide rails 4, for example, when the carriage is suddenly braked while it approaches the holder 2. The roller follower 12a then cooperate with the roller follower 12 and guide rail 4 to prevent excessive pivoting of the inclined sections 8.

It is clear that the improved conveying device is susceptible of many additional modifications. For example, the sections 8 can serve to convey a gaseous fluid and/or electric current. Furthermore, the conveying device can be used in many other types of machines, namely, wherever a fluid or electric current must be conveyed between a stationary source and one or more reciprocable consumers.

Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist of the present invention that others can, by applying current knowledge, readily adapt it for various applications without omitting features which fairly constitute essential characteristics of the generic and specific aspects of my contribution to the art and, therefore, such adaptations should and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalence of the claims.

What is claimed as new and desired to be protected by Letters Patent is set forth in the appended claims:

1. An extensible conduit arrangement between a stationary source and a mobile consumer, comprising an expansible and contractible package of elongated carrier sections including two outer sections and a plurality of intermediate sections, each section having a first and a second end, the first end of each intermediate section being articulately connected with the first end of one neighboring section and the second end of each intermediate section being articulately connected with the second end of the other neighboring section, one of said outer sections having a free end; first elongated guide means extending transversely of the sections in said package; first follower means provided only on the alternating sections of said package and tracking said first guide means, said first follower means being nearer to the first than to the second ends of the respective sections; second guide means adjacent to said package first ends of at least some of said sections and tracking said second guide means at least during a portion of movement of said sections in response to expansion or contraction of said package; and moving means coupled to the free end of said one outer section for moving the latter toward and away from the other outer section whereby the package respectively contracts and expands with attendant pivoting of successive sections while said first and second follower means respectively track said first and second guide means.

2. An arrangement as defined in claim 1, wherein said first guide means has a first side which is tracked by said first follower means and a second side, said a]- ternating sections further comprising third follower means arranged to track the second side of said first guide means during a portion of movement of said one outer section toward said other outer section.

3. An arrangement as defined in claim 2, wherein said third follower means are nearer to the second than to the first ends of the respective sections.

4. An arrangement as defined in claim 1, wherein said sections are tubes.

5. An arrangement as defined in claim 1, wherein said moving means constitutes the reciprocable carriage of a drawing machine.

. An arrangement as defined in claim 1, wherein said second guide means is disposed at a level above said first guide means.

7. An arrangement as defined in claim 6, wherein said first guide means is located in a substantially horizontal plane.

8. An arrangement as defined in claim 1, wherein said moving means comprises a carriage which is reciprocable along said first guide means.

9. An arrangement as defined in claim 8, wherein the consumer includes at least one motor mounted on and arranged to drive said carriage.

10. An arrangement as defined in claim 1, wherein said sloping portion of said second guide means is adand having a single portion sloping toward said first 40 jacem to the other outer Section- 

1. An extensible conduit arrangement between a stationary source and a mobile consumer, comprising an expansible and contractible package of elongated carrier sections including two outer sections and a plurality of intermediate sections, each section having a first and a second end, the first end of each intermediate section being articulately connected with the first end of one neighboring section and the second end of each intermediate section being articulately connected with the second end of the other neighboring section, one of said outer sections having a free end; first elongated guide means extending transversely of the sections in said package; first follower means provided only on the alternating sections of said package and tracking said first guide means, said first follower means being nearer to the first than to the second ends of the respective sections; second guide means adjacent to said package and having a single portion sloping toward said first guide means; second follower means provided at the first ends of at least some of said sections and tracking said second guide means at least during a portion of movement of said sections in response to expansion or contraction of said package; and moving means coupled to the free end of said one outer section for moving the latter toward and away from the other outer section whereby the package respectively contracts and expands with attendant pivoting of successive sections while said first and second follower means respectively track said first and second guide means.
 2. An arrangement as defined in claim 1, wherein said first guide means has a first side which is tracked by said first follower means and a second side, said alternating sections further comprising third follower means arranged to track the second side of said first guide means during a portion of movement of said one outer section toward said other outer section.
 3. An arrangement as defined in claim 2, wherein said third follower means are nearer to the second than to the first ends of the respective sections.
 4. An arrangement as defined in claim 1, wherein said sections are tubes.
 5. An arrangement as defined in claim 1, wherein said moving means constitutes the reciprocable carriage of a drawing machine.
 6. An arrangement as defined in claim 1, wherein said second guide means is disposed at a level above said first guide means.
 7. An arrangement as defined in claim 6, wherein said first guide means is located in a substantially horizontal plane.
 8. An arrangement as defined in claim 1, wherein said moving means comprises a carriage which is reciprocable along said first guide means.
 9. An arrangement as defined in claim 8, wherein the consumer includes at least one motor mounted on and arranged to drive said carriage.
 10. An arrangement as defined in claim 1, wherein said sloping portion of said second guide means is adjacent to the other outer section. 